DECEMBER 1, 2017, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
KeizerOpinion
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The capacity for moral renewal
By MICHAEL GERSON
Even in a political season of
routine marvels, few developments
are more spectacularly incongru-
ous than this: America has seen a
swift, dramatic shift in
attitudes toward sexual
harassment with Donald
Trump as president.
It is sometimes as-
sumed (including by
me) that the presidency
sets a moral tone for
the nation, infl uencing
what society considers
normal and acceptable in a kind of
trickle-down ethics. But the sexu-
al harassment revolution emerged
from society in spite of -- or even
in defi ance of -- a president who
has boasted of exploiting women
and who stands accused of harassing
more than a dozen.
This is a reminder that the moral
dynamics of a nation are complex,
which should come as no surprise
to conservatives (at least of the
Burkean variety). This is a big coun-
try, capable of making up its own
collective mind. Politics only reach-
es the light zone of a deep ocean.
It is a sign of hope that moral and
ethical standards can assert them-
selves largely unaided by political,
entertainment and media leaders —
except when they serve as caution-
ary tales of egregious behavior.
We are seeing an example of how
social change often (and increasing-
ly) takes place. Advocates of a cause
can push for a long time with little
apparent effect. Then, in a histori-
cal blink, what seemed incredible
becomes inevitable. Over a period
of years, this is what happened with
the gay marriage movement. A type
of inclusion that initially appeared
radical and frightening became an
obvious form of fairness to a ma-
jority of Americans. Politicians, in-
cluding President Obama, were left
catching up to the new social con-
sensus.
Over a period of weeks, this is
the story of the revolt against sexual
harassment. What seemed
for generations the pre-
rogative of powerful men
has been fully revealed as
a pernicious form of de-
humanization. Men such
as Bill O’Reilly, Harvey
Weinstein and Charlie
Rose have been exposed
at their moments of maxi-
mum cruelty and creepiness—just
as their alleged victims (on cred-
ible testimony) experienced them.
An ethical light switch was fl ipped.
Moral outrage—the appropriate re-
sponse -- now seems obvious.
Such rapid shifts in social norms
should be encouraging to social re-
formers of various stripes. Attitudes
and beliefs do not move on a lin-
ear trajectory. A period of lighten-
ing clarity can change the assump-
tions and direction of a culture. The
movement against capital punish-
ment, for example, may be reach-
ing such a point. Advocates of gun
control, in contrast, seem to have an
endless wait. But the record of our
times counsels against despair.
On sexual harassment, our coun-
try is now in a much better ethi-
cal place. And how we got here
is instructive. Conservatives have
sometimes predicted that moral
relativism would render Americans
broadly incapable of moral judg-
ment. But people, at some deep
level, know that rules and norms
are needed. They understand that
character—rooted in empathy and
respect for the rights and dignity of
others—is essential in every realm
of life, including the workplace.
And where did this urgent asser-
tion of moral principle come from?
othem
voices
Keep the net neutral
The Federal Communications
Commission is on track to end neu-
trality on the world wide web in De-
cember. The public needs to rise up,
contact their Congressional represen-
tatives and demand that net neutrality
be maintained.
Net neutrality may be a term that
technical folks understand;
the term itself is not Aver-
age Joe friendly. What is it?
Why does it matter?
Net neutrality is the
principle that internet ser-
vice providers must treat
all data on the the same,
and not discriminate or
charge differently by user,
content, website, platform, applica-
tion, type of attached equipment, or
method of communication
For instance, under these prin-
ciples, internet service providers are
unable to intentionally block, slow
down or charge money for specifi c
websites and online content.
Those who get internet service
have access to the web and its mil-
lions of sites for a monthly fee from
a provider. Access speed to any web
site is the same regardless of content.
This is the way the open internet has
worked for more than 10 years.
Under the open internet, the full
resources of the internet and means
to operate on it is easily accessible to
all individuals, companies, and orga-
nizations.
If the FCC does away with net
neutrality it will open the door for
internet providers to block or censor
sites they don’t like or they can charge
a premium for access. Currently users
have unfettered access to every type
of site imaginable—some don’t like
that because it allows some very ugly
speech and viewpoints. But that is no
reason to do away with neutrality—
every disagreeable viewpoint can be
countered with acceptable views. No
single ideology dominates the web; in
our current political climate people
will always fi nd a site that reenforces
their own opinions.
Aside from censorship, doing away
with net neutrality would allow pro-
viders to charge whatever they wish
for access to popular sites. You could
pay for basic internet (much like
basic cable television) and then pay
additional for things like social me-
dia sites, sports sites and all the most
popular sites on the net.
Millions of Americans have already
signed petitions and logged com-
plaints about the end of net neutrality,
and yet the FCC seems bent on do-
ing away with it. If it goes
away, as expected, on Dec.
14, the public has several
avenues of recourse.
The providers of inter-
net service must get mu-
nicipal approval to oper-
ate in a city. The city can
certainly dictate terms of
operations: give our citi-
zens net neutrality or we’ll go our
own way. That own way could very
well be a consortium of local govern-
ments (counties and cities) to create
their own fi ber optic network. Some
in the free market don’t want to see
internet classifi ed as a utility such as
electricty or water, but isn’t that what
it is?
Cable television subscriptions lev-
eled off and are now falling as more
households ‘cut the cable’ and use
the internet to watch their favorite
shows. One day that may seem like
a futile plan.
Aside from contacting Congres-
sional representatives to stop any
move to end neutrality there most
likely will be a court challenge in the
near future. As long as the plaintiffs
have standing, such a case would be
one of the most important to be de-
cided, as one expects it to eventually
land at the U.S. Supreme Court.
Nobody and no organization
owns the internet. Every user already
pays a monthly fee for access. The net
is here and will remain here and it has
changed the way we live and com-
municate. The millions of internet
users in the United States should not
wake up one day in late December
and fi nd their favorite sites blocked
or slowed or available only for an ex-
tra charge.
The end of net neutrality will af-
fect every aspect of modern life and
the public should be aware of it and
fi ght it any way they can.
—LAZ
oum
opinion
The music of the season
During December there are many
choices to hear holiday music in Keiz-
er and from Keizerites.
The music programs at Keizer’s
schools are recognized as some of the
fi nest in the state of Oregon. Their
concerts are sophisticated and ap-
proachable.
Whether or not your household
has a child in any school music pro-
gram, it is an inexpensive evening of
holiday entertainment. Attending the
concert of the McNary High School
choirs will leave one with chills at the
excellence and mastery of the stu-
dents. The same can be said of both
Whiteaker and Claggett Creek middle
schools.
Outside of the schools, the annual
Keizer Christmas Tree lighting cere-
mony on Tuesday, Dec. 5, will be fi lled
with carols everyone knows and can
sing along with.
You might be lucky enough this
season to be serenaded by wandering
carolers. At the least you can brave the
winter night air on Dec. 9 to watch
the Keizer Holiday Lights Parade.
There’s music in the air. Enjoy it.
Keizertimes
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Not from the advocates of “family
values.” On the contrary, Franklin
Graham, son of Billy, chose to side
with GOP Senate candidate Roy
Moore of Alabama against his high-
ly credible accusers. “The hypoc-
risy of Washington has no bounds,”
Graham said. “So many denouncing
Roy Moore when they are guilty of
doing much worse than what he has
been accused of supposedly doing.”
It is as if Graham set out to jus-
tify every feminist critique of the
religious right. Instead of standing
against injustice and exploitation—
as the Christian gospel demands—
Graham sided with patriarchal op-
pression in the cause of political
power. This is beyond hypocrisy. It
is the solidarity of scary, judgmental
old men. It is the ideology of white
male dominance dressed up as re-
ligion.
This is how low some religious
conservatives have sunk: They have
left me sounding like an English
professor at Sarah Lawrence Col-
lege.
Conservatives need to be clear
and honest in this circumstance.
The strong, moral commitment to
the dignity of women and children
recently asserting itself in our com-
mon life has mainly come from
feminism, not the “family values”
movement. In this case, religious
conservatives have largely been by-
standers or obstacles. This indicates
a group of people for whom the
dignity of girls and women has be-
come secondary to other political
goals.
We are a nation with vast re-
sources of moral renewal. It is a
shame and a scandal that so many
religious conservatives have made
themselves irrelevant to that task.
(Washington Post Wmitems Gmoup)
The effects of the Kitzhaber years
By GENE H. McINTYRE
It’s a big stretch to believe that for-
mer Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber and
his partner, Cylvia Hayes, did not use
their public positions for profi t and
only inadvertently failed to disclose
confl icts of interest and inappropri-
ately accepted gifts. Kitzhaber, now
wandering about the land as though
he’s done nothing wrong, even reluc-
tantly admits he violated state ethics
laws but without intent.
He stands by his pleas of igno-
rance and multiple unintention-
als so much so that any Oregonian
who’s been around this
state for the years he
was in the legislature
and governor’s offi ce can
only wonder at how, he,
a man who matriculated
successfully through ed-
ucation and training to
become a medical doc-
tor, could have achieved
such notable success, and served in
Oregon’s highest political offi ce, but
learned nothing much about Oregon
law and professional ethics.
While the facts stack up against
Kitzhaber, it would appear that he has
done his best at trying to weasel out
of any fi nancial consequence for all
the waywardness he’s accused of caus-
ing, resulting in a wrist slap $1,000
fi ne to resolve the complaints against
him. Now, then, those with grit
enough to stand up to this guy as the
Oregon Government Ethics Com-
mission recently voted 7 to 1 to
deny him that ridiculous settlement
Kitzhaber thinks is equal to his un-
lawful behavior.
His partner, Cylvia Hayes, is gen-
erally believed to have contributed
her fair share to Kitzhaber shameful
condition. She, of worse-than-just-
shady past behaviors apparently tried
and succeeded to shape and infl uence
state policy to her suspected fi nan-
cial benefi t in amounts
of tens of thousands of
dollars while obviously
and deftly manipulating
the governor. Ugly as
it was, she also threw
her weight against state
employees who ques-
tioned
her
tactics
and practices, resulting
in Kitzhaber’s termi-
nating them without
cause. Whatever her
efforts at dodging guilt,
she was and should
continue to be held to
state ethics law.
But
let’s
recall
some of the other
presumed
taxpayer
costs that arguably can
be attributed to Kitzha-
ber with possible help
from Sylvia Hayes.
How about the Seattle-
based energy consultant, and the state
employee he’s accused of bribing, that
became charges of corruption at the
Department of Energy. One rogue
employee there enabled consultant
Martin Shain to acquire $12 million
in green energy tax credits for solar
projects that should have failed to
qualify for them. It has been widely
reported that the DOE was a virtual
cauldron of corruption with sev-
eral former employees who walked
away without being charged with
complicity. Meanwhile, this question
festers: Where was Kitzhaber when
this economic disaster was
underway and what person-
ally did he gain?
Then, also, what’s viewed
as the Port of Portland fi -
asco where things went
from thriving there to sick,
dying and dead. The Orego-
nian reported by the num-
bers there that 53 percent
of containerized Oregon exports
fl owed through the Port of Portland
in 2014; today, December, 2017, zero
percent of containerized Oregon ex-
ports are handled there. That means
that there is now a $400- to $450-
per container increase in transporta-
tion costs for most Oregon shippers
after the Hanjin company departed
and we Oregonians pay for it by add-
ed consumer costs. A $15.1 million
added annual cost must be absorbed
after the loss of Terminal 6. Was it not
Kitzhaber’s pal, former chief of staff
and political crony, Bill Wyatt, former
Port of Portland director, now con-
veniently, and most likely wealthy,
in retirement? So, again, where was
Kitzhaber when this economic disas-
ter was underway and what might he
have pocketed from it?
Adding to the list of Kitzhaber
wreckage during his tenure, 2011 was
a fateful year for Oregon public edu-
cation as the former governor pushed
guest
column
through monumental changes to Or-
egon’s K-12 grades. He persuaded
lawmakers into a replacement for the
elected state superintendent of pub-
lic instruction with an education czar
appointed by and reporting to him.
That czar was Rudy Crew, who, at
the time of his appointment, was the
second-highest paid state employee at
a salary of $280,000. Oregon taxpay-
ers learned later that Kitzhaber man-
aged little oversight over Crew who
billed the state for thousands of dol-
lars in personal travel expenses, took
six weeks of paid vacation, traveled by
fi rst-class plane ticket to honor a pal in
Santa Fe and attended a special course
in Los Angeles. A best guess regard-
ing Crew was that he cost Oregon’s
taxpayers an amount possibly exceed-
ing $1,000,000 while accomplishing
nothing for the state’s schools.
So, here we are today, Kitzhaber
running around the state presum-
ably collecting large speaker and con-
sulting fees while he ought to be at
least responsible for returning to the
Oregon treasury a whole lot more
than a $1,000 fi ne—and that goes
for his partner, too. Guess work sur-
mised that Kitzhaber has been cash-
ing in on political debts and probably
hopeful, too, that he can reclaim his
power and big money accessibility
with partner Hayes at his side. The
least the Oregon Government Ethics
Commission can do is to hit this guy
in the pocket book—like he hit me
and tens of thousands like me through
our taxes—starting at $100,000 and
going stratospheric from there.
(Gene H. McIntyme lives in .)
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